Tag: Holy One

Worlds, Souls, Divinity–Inspired by the Komarna Rebbe

This is a teaching about prayer as conveyed by the Komarna Rebbe (R. Yitzchak Eisik Safrin, 1806 – 1874). It is only tangentially related to Purim, though it does appear in his commentary on Megillat Esther. Furthermore, since Purim is a most propitious time for prayer, it is an appropriate teaching for the occasion. But mostly, it is a subject I wanted to broach, and this concurrence of commentary and prayer focus provides an opportunity to do so.

SHADOWS AND LIGHT–CHANUKKA 5783/2022

There’s an elephant in the room, though I think most readers are unaware of its shadowed presence. It’s the portion of the Chanukka story that occurs after the victorious restoration of the Temple that we celebrate with our chanukiyot.

“This Opposite This” HaShem Made the World

This tug-of-war stripped down to its basics is really about “who eats who?” And, really, the whole drama of geopolitics comes down to exactly that: In the end, whose narrative, whose scripture, whose ideology, whose story of why we are here and where we’re headed and what G d wants from us…whose narrative is going to prevail, and absorb everyone else into its story line. “Who will eat who?”

Purim High Council Prayer and Meditation Happening for Women–2

We are Inviting women from around the world to join the actual Jerusalem-based event via zoom (enabled by Shifra Hendrie who has offered her expanded zoom link for the occasion). And… Sharing the nusach/script of the ceremony so you can prepare for the event and, if you are unable to join our Jerusalem ceremony, you can create your own High Council, either on your own or with friends.

Purim High Council Prayer and Meditation Happening for Women

Our Fruit Tree and Vegetable Kingdom Role Models

On Tu B’Shvat we celebrate our generous and magnificent fruit trees that selflessly nourish the world for no other reason than that it’s what they are designed to do. May we honor them back by preserving their habitat, mulching their soil, protecting their pollinators, providing fresh water, repelling their pests and (on their new year’s day) praying for them to enjoy a healthy, lush and fruitful year.

The Chinukh of Chanukka

Since Chanukka and Purim reference toward the future, R. Luria associates them with Mashiach ben David, and the 7th marriage blessing when “the woman of valor becomes the crown to her husband.” R. Luria brings fascinating evidence of the gender shifts that weave through the messianic lineage and narrative.

The Seder as a Meditation on MATZAH

The matzah itself is a neutral object. It is simple flat bread that sits at the center of the table and doesn’t talk or move and yet, even still, it goes through changes. As we evolve and enlighten in the course of the evening we project a whole string of meanings and transformations onto that matzah, just like we do in real life vis a vis the world around us (and also vis a vis our conception of G-d).

Tag: Holy One

Worlds, Souls, Divinity–Inspired by the Komarna Rebbe

SHADOWS AND LIGHT–CHANUKKA 5783/2022

“This Opposite This” HaShem Made the World

Purim High Council Prayer and Meditation Happening for Women–2

Purim High Council Prayer and Meditation Happening for Women

Our Fruit Tree and Vegetable Kingdom Role Models

The Chinukh of Chanukka

The Seder as a Meditation on MATZAH

A Short Tribute to Etrog for Tu B’Shvat

Chanukka—Harbinger of Messianic Gender Shifts to Come

Fifteen Stages of the Pesach Seder

Keter – Malchut

Rosh Hashana

Cheshvan

Chanukka

Tu B'Shvat

Purim

Shavuot

Tisha B'Av

Elul